Selective circuit maker



March 31, 1953 c. WITTENMYER SELECTIVE CIRCUIT MAKER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Jan. 6, 1944 INVENTOR.

. CARLOS WITTENMYER I BY2 ATTORNEYS March 31, 1953 c. WITTENMYER SELECTIVE CIRCUIT MAKER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jan. 6, 1944 FIGS.

FIG.5.

FIG.4.

DECIDE :1

INVENTOR. CARLOS WITTENMYER ATTORNEYS March 31, 1953 c. WITTVENMYER 2,633,506

SELECTIVE CIRCUIT MAKER Original Filed Jan. 6, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG]. 33

FIG-8. 30A 30 30A 33A 4 4 4 l 'cui a a I S I a: EZI JQZJ =L 4=L 32 n INVENTOR.

CARLOS WITTENMYER ATTOR N EYS Patented Mar. 31,1953

SELECTIVE CIRCUIT MAKER Carlos Wittenmyer, Lebanon, Ohio Original application January 6, 1944, Serial No.

517,154, now Patent No. 2,493,709, dated Janucry 3, 1950. Divided and this application November 26, 1949, Serial No. 129,623

The present invention relates to circuit makers and breakers and more specifically to av circuit maker and breaker for use in cases where there are a plurality or potential circuits each for op erating a different instrumentality, and it is de-- sired to'complete a pre-selected one of such circuits. 7 1

Thepresent application is a division of pending application Serial No. 517,154, filed January 6, 1944, now Patent No. 2,493,709, issued January 3, 1950, by'the present inventor on Automatic Typewriters. p

In this prior application there is shown mechanisr. for attachment to a typewriter whereby by actuation of a single key a sequence of characters, for example, a date or time of day or other data, is typed. This attachment is electrically actuated and involves a plurality of circuit makers and breakers.

Among the objects of the present invention is a circuit maker and breaker particularly suitable for this purpose.

Another object is the provision of a device of the kind indicated in which there are a plurality of potential circuits of which one may be selected for completion.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying; drawings in which Fig. l is a schematic representation and wiring diagram of accessory apparatus for use with an electrically actuated typewriter.

Fig. 2 is an elevation, with part in section, of one of the number wheel switches.

Figs. 3 and 4 are elevations of parts of the latter.

Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively end and side elevations of a hand operated switch operating means.

Fig. '7 is a schematic representation of a device similar to that of Fig. 1 but adapted for calculating machines.

Fig. 8 is a view. showing a row of keys of a callculating machine and the interacting contacts connected therewith.

In the drawings (Fig. 7) there is shown at 25 a device consisting of a casing having mounted therein an oscillatable arm 2i carrying at its free end an electric contact member 21A adapted to touch in turn a plurality of contacts 2 i5 insulated from each other and arranged in an arc. The arm 2! extends radially from a friction wheel or roller 22 a portion of which protrudes from the casing and is adapted to contact a suitable 4 Claims. (Cl. 200-4) 2 portion of a typewriter carriage (not shown) at the will of the operator. The contact MA is connected through the arm and lead 210 to a mercury switch 23 and thence to a suitable source of power. Each of the contacts 2513 will also be connected electricallyas willbe described below.

Referring now to Fig; '1, a sequence device suchas is above briefly described, is shown at 120, and as in Fig. 7 the contact carrying swinging arm l2! will be connected to a suitable source of electricity, while each of the stationary contacts IZiB will be connected to a suitable connection on a gang member '25 from which corresponding connections lead to the several discs 28. These discs 28 constitute a part of the switch mechanism claimed herein and shown in detail in Figs. 2 to 5.

As shown in these figures, the switch consists of the disc 26 mounted coaxially with a second and third disc, the second disc 21 being shown as a numbered wheel having extending axially through it a plurality of rods 21A which project from both facesand are arranged in a circle. There will be one rod of electricity conducting material while the others serve to dynamically balance the disc. The third disc 28 will becoaxial with discs 21 and 26 and be made of suitable electrically conductive material or covered therewith on the face presented to disc 21.

' The disc 26 will be made of non-conducting material and having extending axially through it or suitably mounted in that face adjacent disc 21 as many conducting rods or contacts 26A as there are characters on discs 21 and located the same radial distance from the center as the rods 21A in disc 21, so that the one electrically conductive rod is in position to contact any one of contacts 26A. .1

If the device is intended to type automatically the time of day, for example, 10:22 a. m., the discs '2'! will be provided with suitable numbers and letters and punctuation marks and will be rotated by a master clock and indexed by conventional mechanism-(not shown). I

If on the other hand, the device is intended to type the results of the operation of a calculating machine, the discs 21 will be geared to the rotatable accumulator wheels of the machine and the discs 26 will be maintained against rotation. In either case, when the discs 26 and 21 have assumed their proper relative position and it is desired to complete the circuit, the two discs 26 and 28 are moved toward disc 21 until the conductive rod 21A contacts the disc 28 and one of the electrical contacts 26A.

As indicated above, the discs 28 are each connected to one of the contacts 213 or IZIB.

The contacts 26A will be connected to suitable solenoids adapted to actuate the typewriter keys corresponding to the characters to be printed. So, when the potential circuits have been set up by the rotation of wheels 21. actuation of arm 2| or I by the typewriter carriage completessuch circuits in turn.

In the case of the use of the device with a calculating machine, the latter will be. provided with accumulator wheels geared to wheels 21..

Further, the keys of such a machine will be SO arranged that only one key in a row will be. active in setting up a potential circuit, Such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 8.

In Fig. 8 there is shown a row of keys 30 cor responding to the number of columns on the calculating machine. and intended for use in the printing operation. These keys 30. are each provided with an arm 32 so arranged that the operation of any key will also move all of those switches to the left, breaking circuit A and closing circuit B, this being accomplished by means of cams 30A on the keys 30. The keys all pass through a slotted bar 3| which is moved to the left by the cam 30A on the depressed key.

Each ofthe keys 30 is arranged to operate a two-way switch which normally completes a sircuit from the central member 33 through the arm 33A, but when the key is depressed, breaks this circuit'and completesa circuit through the arm 33B.

The location and operation of these switches 33- is shown in Fig. 7. In this figure, the sequence means 20 has its contacts 21B connected to the several central arms 33 or the key switches and the arms 33A-are connected to the discs 28 at the counting wheels 21, while the arms 33B are connected to solenoid S, this being the solehold for actuating: the typewriter spacer key. Therefore, when it is desired to omit printing of the four left hand columns for example, the key 30 opposite. the fourth column from the left is depressed. This bypasses the impulse from these four columns to the typewriter spacer key. The. next. column, however, will print as will all of the columns to the right of the depressed key.

In Figs. 5 and 6 there is shown one structure for moving the discs 26 and 28. into contact with wheel 21. In these figures, the slotted bar 3| (shown also in Fig. 8) is shown as a rack. geared as by gear 39 to a, second bar 40,. so that move-1 ment longitudinallyof either will move the other in the. opposite direction, while both may be.

moved through the operation of the handlev 4i fixed to the gear 39.,

Bars 40 will be provided with arms 42 carrying discs 26 and the; other. 3!, with arms" carrying discs, 28.

.I- claim:

1, A register for a. counting machineincluding a rotatable. number wheel. a non-rotatable disc. adjacent thereto and provided with eleotriccone tacts, equel in number to the numbers represented by said wheel, a single contact extendin through and projecting from the sides of said wheel, a metallic disc adjacent said wheel at the side opposite said first disc, and means for moving said discs simultaneously toward or away from said wheel whereby to complete or break an electric circuit between said metallic disc and one of the contacts carried by the other disc.

2. A register for a counting machine including a. rotatable number wheel, a non-rotatable disc adjacent thereto and provided with electric contacts equal in number to the numbers represented by said wheel, a single contact extending through and projecting from the sides of said wheel, a. metallic disc adjacent said wheel at the side opposite Said first disc, means for moving said discs simultaneously toward or away from said wheel whereby to complete or break an electriccircuit between said metallic disc and one of the contacts carried by the other disc, and means for distr but ng over the faces, of said discsthe pressure exerted, by said discs gainst the sides of the wheel.

3. A circuit maker and breaker consisting of a plurality of plate-like members arran ed co-. axially and in parallel relation, a plurality of. element extending through the intermediate plate and projecting from the faces thereof. one of said elements being a conductor, a plurality of contacts carried by one-of the outer plates,

means for moving relatively the latter plate and the intermediate plate whereby to arrange the single conducting element opposite a selected one of said plurality of contacts, means connecting said selected contact and the third plate into a potential electric circuit and means for moving the contact carrying plate and said. third plate against the elements of the intermediate plate.

4. A circuit maker and breaker consisting of a plurality of coaxially arranged discs. the. first consisting of conducting material, the second consisting of non-conducting material having a plurality of elements extending axially therethrough and arranged. in a circle, one of said elements being a conductor and the third plate consisting of non-conducting material having a plurality of conductors extending ftherethrough and opposite the circle of elements in the second plate, means for relatively rotating the. second and third plates whereby to place saidconducting element opposite a selected one of the conductors carried by the third plate, and means for moving said plates into contact.

CARLOS EF R NCE GI ED The following references are of record in the file of this p tent:

UNITED STAT S PAT NTS Number Name Date.

1,277,981 Mathers Sept. 3, 1918 1,910,069 Soreng May 23, 19.33 1,924,975 Blose Aug. 29, 193.3 2.421.881 E tY s m-s e, June 1 19 7 

